This guide will help you begin the submission process and answer any basic questions you may have about it without having to consult complex submission documentation. It is arranged as a topical reference, so you don’t have to read it from beginning to end to find specific pieces of information. If there are topics you’d like to see in this guide that are not currently included, please email snp-admin at vog.hin.mln.ibcn@nimda-pns.

As of this writing, dbSNP is planning a redesign for the database that will introduce a number of fundamental changes to dbSNP. Some of the changes to the submission process are already in place. We no longer accept flanking sequence on a routine basis, and now require that variant positions are reported as asserted positions on a sequence that is part of an assembly housed in the NCBI Assembly Resource.

We are also in the process of switching our preferred submission format from Flat File to VCF. Since asserted positions are accepted using the VCF submission format, the Flat File submission format can only be used in those cases where an ID is unavailable for the sequence on which you are reporting the position of your variant. In such a case, you must use the Flat File format to submit flanking sequence for your variant instead.

Consult the “VCF: Reporting Variant Positions” section of this document if:

• You need instructions for locating the NCBI Assembly ID for your sequence
• You are reporting the position of your variant on a sequence that has a GenBank or RefSeq ID, but does not have a NCBI Assembly ID
• You are reporting the position of your variant on sequence that has no ID

If you submit the position of your variant on a sequence with a GenBank ID, a RefSeq ID or use flanking sequence to position your variant(s), there will be alterations to the assignment of ss and rs numbers since our submitted SNP (ss) and refSNP (rs) assignment policies have also changed. Consult the “Reporting Variant Position and Resulting Submitted SNP (ss) and Reference SNP (rs) ID Assignment” section of this document to determine which dbSNP ID(s) will be assigned to your submission.

Consult the “Submitting Variations and Variation Data to dbSNP” section of the dbSNP FAQ Archive if you need answers to more complex submission issues. If you still are unable to find the answer to your question, email vog.hin.mln.ibcn@bus-pns.

Contents

• Beginning the Submission Process
• Choosing a Submission Format
• VCF Submissions
• Flat File Submissions
• Submitting Data and Submission Processing